428 Mr. J. E. Harting on rare or 



[Blyth, Jerdon); Edmonstone's Island, Saugur Sand [Newcomhe 

 teste Pearson) ; Saugur Island (teste Hartlauh) ; Chittagong 

 (/. E. Bruce, Chapman teste Blt/th); Arracau [Lloyd teste Pear- 

 son) ) Amherst in Tenasserim {O'Reilly teste Blyth) ; Amoy 

 {Swin/ioe); Behring's Straits, N. E. Asia [Barroiv teste Sclater). 



Description [Adult in winter). — Bill black, longer than the 

 head, flat, dilated considerably at the extremity in a rhomboidal 

 shape. Tongue broad and smooth. Forehead, cheeks, throat, 

 and underparts pure white ; crown, nape and sides of neck, back, 

 wings, and upper tail-coverts dusky brown, each feather mar- 

 gined more or less with pale grey. Wings long and pointed ; 

 shafts of the primaries white; first quill-feather the longest. 

 Tail short, rounded, consisting of twelve feathers, the two middle 

 feathers the longest and darkest in colour. Legs and toes black, 

 moderately long, slender, three toes in front, one behind, mar- 

 gined along the sides ; a slight membrane connecting the base 

 of the middle and outer toe on each foot. Total length 6 inches ; 

 bill 1 inch; wing, from carpus, 3'7 ; tarsus 0*9. (Exempl. typ. 

 in Mus. Upsal. fide audi, citt.) 



Adult in summer (hitherto undescribed). — Bill as above. Head, 

 neck, breast, and back ferruginous ; the feathers of the head, 

 nape, and back with dark brown centres ; those of the throat 

 and breast slightly margined with white. Underparts, from 

 the breast downwards, becoming gradually whiter towards the 

 tail. Primaries somewhat darker than in winter. Legs and toes 

 black. (Exempl. in Mus. Acad. Oxon.) 



The earliest notice of this species is to be found in an octavo 

 catalogue usually appended to his 'Museum Ludovicse Ulricae 

 Reginse Suecorum,^ &c., published by Linnseus in 1764 ; but en- 

 titled ' Museum Adolphi Friderici Begis Suecorum,^ &c., ' Tomi 

 secundi Prodromus '*. He, no doubt from the form of the bill, 

 referred this species to the genus Platalea j but that he did so 

 with hesitation is shown by the following remark : — " Mirum 

 parvara adco avem, quse minimat omnium nobis notarum Gral- 



• This promised seconr/ volume never appeared ; the first, in folio, which 

 is well known, was published in 1754. 



t Only one very small species of Tringa (T. pusUla) was known to 

 Liuuajus even in 17G6, and that apparently on Brisson's authority. 



